How workers died last week. 17 year old at amusement part, building collapse, correction officer beaten to death, stabbing, shootings, vehicle incidents. More public employee deaths in states where they are not covered by OSHA. On average, over 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work. More than 20 times as many die from occupational diseases, many due to exposure to hazardous substances many years before they died. The few narratives below (gathered from almost 100 Google News searches) do not come close to capturing the full toll that work takes on the working people of this country. Nevertheless the accounts below gave you a taste of the preventable carnage occurring in workplaces across the country every day.
17-year-old riding go-kart at work crashes into forklift and dies
Greenville, SC — A teen amusement park employee died in an accident involving a forklift and a go-kart at work, South Carolina officials said. He’s been identified as 17-year-old Kamel Seveion Sewell of Simpsonville. The accident happened at Frankie’s Fun Park in Greenville shortly before the park opened at noon on Friday, Dec. 27, Greenville County Coroner Parks Evans said in a news release. Sewell was riding a go-kart when he ran into an “industrial size forklift” operated by another employee, the coroner said. He was pronounced dead about 20 minutes after the incident, but his cause of death is still pending. An autopsy will be performed Dec. 28, Evans said.
One person killed in industrial accident Monday morning
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock police responded to an industrial accident early Monday morning that left one person dead. Just before 7:45 a.m., officers were initially called to an accident with injuries involving a pedestrian at a business near 34th and Ave. A. Upon arrival, investigators determined it was an industrial accident. Police say the person died at the scene. Additional details have not been released at this time.
Employee dies after industrial accident at Springfield steel fabricator
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — An employee at a Springfield steel fabricator facility was killed after a work-related accident on Thursday afternoon. According to Cris Swaters with the Springfield Police Department, the industrial accident at Doing Steel involved one man who was killed. Emergency crews attempted life-saving measures at the scene. Swaters says there is no criminal investigation. Doing Steel is located on North Golden in Springfield and specializes in commercial construction projects, according to its website.
Ohio corrections officer killed during inmate assault Christmas morning: ‘Made the ultimate sacrifice’
Chillicothee, OH — The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) confirmed that Officer Andrew Lansing lost his life on Christmas morning following “an inmate assault” at the prison in Chillicothee. The incident happened around 7:15 am and the department did not release additional information on what led to the assault. On Thursday, The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the inmate as 27-year-old Rashawn Cannon, who has been incarcerated on felonious assault and weapon under disability charges stemming from an incident in September 2023, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s website.
Chicago tow truck driver killed in Wisconsin hit-and-run crash, sheriff says
WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wisc. (WLS) – A Chicago tow truck driver was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Christmas Eve in Wisconsin. The crash happened around 6:41 p.m. Tuesday on the eastbound shoulder of I-94 east of Sawyer Road in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. The tow truck driver was loading a disabled vehicle on the shoulder of I-94 when he was struck by a blue minivan that fled the scene after the crash, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department said. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. He has been identified as 40-year-old Hussain Farhat, authorities said. Farhat worked for Yaffo Towing in Chicago, the sheriff said.
Worker at homeless shelter stabbed to death in Brooklyn, police say
BROOKLYN, NY (WABC) — A worker at a homeless shelter was stabbed to death in Brooklyn on Thursday, according to police. Police said it happened at a shelter on East New York Avenue in Brownsville. Police said a 35-year-old man was stabbed in the neck and stomach inside the building but after 6 p.m. Police have identified the victim as 35-year-old Robbie Miller and say he was found with stab wounds to his neck and abdomen. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the shelter is not operated by the city.
NC McDonald’s employee shoots, kills delivery driver during altercation
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — One person is dead after Fayetteville police said an employee at a fast food restaurant shot them during an altercation. Fayetteville police responded to calls about a shooting at the McDonald’s at 5009 Santa Fe Drive just after 8:15 p.m. Police told ABC11 that a McDonald’s employee got into an altercation with a DoorDash driver. The employee then pulled out a gun and shot 25-year-old Samori Husamudeen. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Tow truck driver killed, son injured in Illinois crash with semi
Grant Park, IL — According to multiple reports including CBS News Chicago, a tow truck driver was killed and his 15-year-old son was seriously injured when a heavy-duty tow truck collided with another semi-trailer truck on Christmas Eve in Kankakee County. Illinois State Police said a truck driver lost control of a semi while driving on Illinois Route 17 near Bull Creek Road near the village of Grant Park shortly after 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve, and crashed head-on into another semi. One of the semis, a heavy-duty tow truck, rolled over in the crash. The other semi caught fire and was severely damaged in the crash. Ray & Wally’s Towing said the heavy-duty wrecker was operated by one of its drivers, who died at the scene.
Active-duty Avon firefighter dies Christmas Eve
Avon, MA — The fire department in Avon, Massachusetts, is mourning one of their own, a firefighter/paramedic who died Christmas Eve. Justin Powers had been with the Avon Fire Department since mid-2020, the agency announced Thursday. They didn’t share details about what led to his death, only saying he died unexpectedly. “Please keep the Powers family and members of the Avon Fire Department in your thoughts and prayers,” Avon Fire Chief David Charest said in a news release. Powers served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard for a decade, graduated in 2021 from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and had also worked for Boston MedFlight.
DC row house collapse kills trapped worker, officials say
Washington DC — D.C. officials say a construction worker that was trapped under a two-story row home that collapsed in Northwest on Monday has died. Just after 9:30 a.m., emergency crews were dispatched for a rescue operation to a two-story row home undergoing renovations in the 1100 block of V Street NW, according to D.C. Fire and EMS. During an afternoon news conference, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly Sr. and D.C. Department of Buildings Director Brian Hanlon said a worker trapped beneath the home had died. The person was found toward the rear of the building. “Our units quickly assessed the scene and accessed the patient and they found that the patient was deceased,” Donnelly said. A family at the scene identified the worker who was killed to WTOP as 36-year-old Edgar Cifuentes.
Man killed after being hit by large industrial vehicle in Enfield, Conn.
Enfield, CT — A man has died after he was struck by a large industrial vehicle that was backing up in Enfield on Monday. It happened in the area of Lindy Farms and Fletcher Road just after 11:15 a.m. Authorities said a worker was struck by a skid steer that was backing up. The man is 68-year-old Jose Vasro, 68, of Springfield, Mass. Police said the incident doesn’t appear to be criminal in nature. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Enfield police are conducting an investigation. No additional information was immediately available.
Greensboro police officer killed after shooting at Food Lion store
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Greensboro police officer was killed after a shooting at a Food Lion grocery store Monday morning. The shooting occurred at the store on Lawndale Drive in Greensboro as people were shopping in the store just days before Christmas. Greensboro police said Officer Michael Horan was shot and killed after he responded to a call about a man with a firearm in the store. Heavy law enforcement soon arrived at the store as the shooting unfolded. Officers said the circumstances regarding what led to the shooting are still under investigation. However, the Greensboro Police Department said a suspect is in custody.
State trooper struck and killed while picking up debris along interstate ahead of Christmas
JOLIET, Ill. (Gray News) – Police and a community in Illinois are mourning the loss of a state trooper and father of two who died the day before Christmas Eve. Illinois State Police (ISP) announced the death of 35-year-old Trooper Clay M. Carns. Carns served 11 years as an officer with ISP and was assigned to Troop 3. Officials say around 9:42 p.m. on Monday, December 23, 2024, Trooper Carns was outside of his squad car removing debris from a lane on southbound I-55 north of Blodgett Road near Channahon when he was struck by a passing vehicle. Carns was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet, where at approximately 10:45 p.m., he succumbed to his injuries.
Dauphin County parks employee dies after being struck by vehicle
Dauphin County, PA — A Dauphin County parks employee died after getting hit by a vehicle Friday morning. The man was struck around 8:15 a.m. on North Front Street near Fishing Creek Valley Road in Middle Paxton Township. He died at the scene. North Front Street was shut down for nearly four hours, but it is now open. A county spokesperson identified the employee as Gary Frampton. He was performing his duties at Fort Hunter Park when he was struck.
Employee found dead at New Hampshire state agency
CONCORD, N.H. — An investigation is underway after an employee was found dead at the New Hampshire Insurance Department, state police said Monday night. Around 9 a.m. Monday, State Police responded to the New Hampshire Insurance Department at 21 South Fruit St. in Concord after receiving a report that an adult male employee had been found dead at the agency. Investigators at this time do not believe the man’s death is suspicious. There is no threat to public safety, state police said in a statement around 7 p.m. Monday.
Third Old Key Lime House worker dies of shooting injuries
LANTANA, FL — A third Old Key Lime House employee has died of injuries sustained in a Dec. 10 shooting at a Lake Worth Beach pub, police said Sunday. Reginald Gordon, 49, died Saturday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday. He had been in intensive care at St. Mary’s Medical Center, and had been left paralyzed from the waist down. “The appropriate charges are forthcoming,” the sheriff’s office said in an update. Investigators believe a confrontation between two other men led to the shooting, which erupted around 1 a.m. Dec. 10. The gunfire killed Stephen Stratis, 24, and Christopher Allen, 33, and injured Gordon and Daquan Sigler, 30. Sigler was treated at a local hospital and released. Police say Michael B. Vititoe, 29, of Boynton Beach, punched at least one man, while another man, Morey S. Pinard III, 23, of Delray Beach pulled a firearm and began shooting during the fight, which took place at The Rock Irish Pub in the 600 block of Lake Avenue.